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This is something I was thinking some minutes ago, and just wanted to share my thoughts now that they are fresh. It does not matter how your life is if the result will be always the same.
Let me to explain my reasoning: In the life of every single human there is always two things that are always met, every human must meet two conditions in order to exist: to born, to die. So there are two things for sure for a human being to exist: birth and death.
So, following these two conditions that are always met, regardless races, genre, geographic location, then the path you follow does not influence in the result. Whether you are rich or poor, that only matters in the short period you are alive but you are likely to spend infinite time dead so we can affirm that the amount of time you are alive is negligible compared with the amount of time you are dead (any number compared to infinite can be considered negligible). You can't bring your belongings to your grave, in this sense, death brings equality between rich and poor. Also, if you compare the time you are living, let's say roughly 85 years, with the age of the universe, roughly 13.8 billion years, our lives are no longer than a mosquito life, in universal terms.
I encourage you to debunk this thought, why no matter what you do, the result will be the same, no matter how much money you make, your money later on will be worthless for you, no matter how happy you were, your thoughts will die with you, no matter how famous you are, you will not be there to witness it.
"it does not matter how your life is if the result will always be the same"...your words.
Totally disagree with that.
You're right when you say we'll all die..that's something none of us will escape.
On the other hand a life lived with love and joy sure beats a life of sadness and misery...don't you think?
To me, that would matter if I have a choice..
Also you can leave a legacy..something good that'll benefit others...the fact that that mattered in your life will be there long after you're gone.
Children (a part of you) will live on because of you...that matters.
I've been around long enough, and sought/meditated enough, to sense a divine realm, which points to an existence in the afterlife. And how time is spent now will affect and direct that life.
How I/we spend our time while here is enormously important as well. Our lives leave a trail behind through our daily words, actions, etc. I can't speak for others, but I want that trail to be positive and supportive. I want the world to be a better place (as much as possible) through the best of my abilities.
So, taking the two together, our time here - among the living - is of huge impact. Sad to think that some don't see that. What a cold and meaningless existence that would be; no better than the rocks and stones or machines. Also, to just look at your own life and existence, and not others, as though we're all just isolated bubbles with no interrelationship with anyone or anything else. I see the opposite: life intermixing with life, all in dynamic and amazing richness. What a gift to be alive, and have so many chances and opportunities. Some would simply throw that valuable gift away.
Last edited by Thoreau424; 03-01-2021 at 06:25 PM..
Of course the end result will always be the same but it's the journey that's what matters. I don't believe in an afterlife and the time after you are dead is irrelevant to your time spent alive. I consider myself a practical person. I believe your purpose in life is what you want it to be. There is no end game or higher purpose for humans being on Earth. We're all just here, just like every other living thing. Enjoy life as much as possible, it'll be over before you know it.
This is something I was thinking some minutes ago, and just wanted to share my thoughts now that they are fresh. It does not matter how your life is if the result will be always the same.
Let me to explain my reasoning: In the life of every single human there is always two things that are always met, every human must meet two conditions in order to exist: to born, to die. So there are two things for sure for a human being to exist: birth and death.
So, following these two conditions that are always met, regardless races, genre, geographic location, then the path you follow does not influence in the result. Whether you are rich or poor, that only matters in the short period you are alive but you are likely to spend infinite time dead so we can affirm that the amount of time you are alive is negligible compared with the amount of time you are dead (any number compared to infinite can be considered negligible). You can't bring your belongings to your grave, in this sense, death brings equality between rich and poor. Also, if you compare the time you are living, let's say roughly 85 years, with the age of the universe, roughly 13.8 billion years, our lives are no longer than a mosquito life, in universal terms.
I encourage you to debunk this thought, why no matter what you do, the result will be the same, no matter how much money you make, your money later on will be worthless for you, no matter how happy you were, your thoughts will die with you, no matter how famous you are, you will not be there to witness it.
Bringing the universe into the discussion, leads to some interesting conclusions. Humans are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Everything we undertake can only be viewed within a limited lens as our actions have no reverberation within the wider scope of the universe. The lifespan of all living organisms and ordinary matter is ultimately the same, live and die. There’s no changing that process. Humans have limited lifespans, but so do all plants and animals as well as stars. There’s an old saying that goes “Death is the great equalizerâ€.
If there’s a moral to that story, is that life is short and it’s bet to try and live it to the fullest of one’s ability, whatever that might be. There’s no point in pursuing long term ventures that lead to unhappiness. It’s up to the individual to forge their own path in life.
The story brings 2 baseline concepts:
1. There is no afterlife, than OP is correct and what you lived is, pretty much, pointless.
2. There is afterlife and then, what you lived has some value.
This is something I was thinking some minutes ago, and just wanted to share my thoughts now that they are fresh. It does not matter how your life is if the result will be always the same.
Let me to explain my reasoning: In the life of every single human there is always two things that are always met, every human must meet two conditions in order to exist: to born, to die. So there are two things for sure for a human being to exist: birth and death.
So, following these two conditions that are always met, regardless races, genre, geographic location, then the path you follow does not influence in the result. Whether you are rich or poor, that only matters in the short period you are alive but you are likely to spend infinite time dead so we can affirm that the amount of time you are alive is negligible compared with the amount of time you are dead (any number compared to infinite can be considered negligible). You can't bring your belongings to your grave, in this sense, death brings equality between rich and poor. Also, if you compare the time you are living, let's say roughly 85 years, with the age of the universe, roughly 13.8 billion years, our lives are no longer than a mosquito life, in universal terms.
I encourage you to debunk this thought, why no matter what you do, the result will be the same, no matter how much money you make, your money later on will be worthless for you, no matter how happy you were, your thoughts will die with you, no matter how famous you are, you will not be there to witness it.
Is this what people are referring to when they mention Nihilism? When this sentiment is brought up in conversation, it completely discounts the joy of working for the next generation, maybe even leaving them something so they don't have to reinvent the wheel and start off in debt. Wasted effort and wasted money.
With the exception of all but the most prominent visionaries, humans tend to not want to take on projects exceeding their life span. (If they won't see the finished product at the end of it, they won't sign off on the idea at all.) Doing my part in getting some generational wealth rolling is exciting. I enjoy the feeling that I will have something to leave behind.
This is something I was thinking some minutes ago, and just wanted to share my thoughts now that they are fresh. It does not matter how your life is if the result will be always the same.
Let me to explain my reasoning: In the life of every single human there is always two things that are always met, every human must meet two conditions in order to exist: to born, to die. So there are two things for sure for a human being to exist: birth and death.
So, following these two conditions that are always met, regardless races, genre, geographic location, then the path you follow does not influence in the result. Whether you are rich or poor, that only matters in the short period you are alive but you are likely to spend infinite time dead so we can affirm that the amount of time you are alive is negligible compared with the amount of time you are dead (any number compared to infinite can be considered negligible). You can't bring your belongings to your grave, in this sense, death brings equality between rich and poor. Also, if you compare the time you are living, let's say roughly 85 years, with the age of the universe, roughly 13.8 billion years, our lives are no longer than a mosquito life, in universal terms.
I encourage you to debunk this thought, why no matter what you do, the result will be the same, no matter how much money you make, your money later on will be worthless for you, no matter how happy you were, your thoughts will die with you, no matter how famous you are, you will not be there to witness it.
I would argue that only birth is required for existence, death is unavoidable but our existence does not depend on it. After birth, we need "sustenance" for continued life; environmental conditions, air, food, water, clothing, physical protection, nurturing, training, and the absence of extreme illness and injury. THEN you can live your life, for however long it lasts.
Now, with respect to your assertion that "absent an afterlife, nothing else matters". I can't speak to the existence of the afterlife, having no direct experience or memory of it. I'll admit to being a hopeful agnostic on the subject. But, many people believe that they "survive death" by passing on their genes to their children, and so on and so forth. And many others believe their accomplishments in life, including writings, teachings, improvements in technology, medicine, social sciences, or even charity, outlive us through bettering the lives of those who come after us. So, people like Jonas Salk, Winston Churchill, or Robert Frost have had much more consequential lives than my own (at least so far, I'm hopeful for that, too).
The story brings 2 baseline concepts:
1. There is no afterlife, than OP is correct and what you lived is, pretty much, pointless.
2. There is afterlife and then, what you lived has some value.
I'd say that's the wrong conclusion on both accounts. Life's meaning is defined by what occurs in our mortal lives. What happens beyond that is undefined, but that shouldn't act as a roadblock. If everything were pointless, then the question arises as to why we do anything in life. Why build buildings, bridges, roads... if all of that is meant to crumble to dust eventually.
I'd say that's the wrong conclusion on both accounts. Life's meaning is defined by what occurs in our mortal lives. What happens beyond that is undefined, but that shouldn't act as a roadblock. If everything were pointless, then the question arises as to why we do anything in life. Why build buildings, bridges, roads... if all of that is meant to crumble to dust eventually.
I think that even staunch atheists would agree that such technological advances were created to maximize what we can accomplish in a lifetime.
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